The Earthquake That Changed Everything
by Swagiana Grande
Summary: "Beck... what are we?" After a few seconds of wondering, he finally answered, "We're Beck and Cat. The two best friends ever to walk this earth." And it was true. But Beck had held back what he really wanted to say. / What happens after the earthquake in Andre's Horrible Girl? How long will it take for Beck to tell Cat how he feels? / Bat one-shot for AJ Kenobi. Please review! xoxo


**A/N Hi everybody! :D This is just a little one-shot that I whipped up for AJ Kenobi. Hope you enjoy, and please review! xoxo**

It had been 2 weeks since the earth quake. The earth quake that had changed everything. During the tremor, Beck had instinctively grabbed Cat and held her close to him, protecting her from any and all falling debris. Luckily, they both remained unhurt, but Beck would've gladly taken an injury for Cat, as long as it meant that she would be alright.

Beck didn't know why, but lately he had been having these…feelings towards Cat. He had always looked at her in a sisterly way, but now he began to think that maybe it was something more. All that he wanted to do was take care of her and protect her and make sure that she never got into harm's way ever again.

As far as Beck knew, Cat thought of him as an older brother. She knew that he was very protective of her, and she respected that. To be completely honest, she loved it (probably more than Beck thought). She too had begun to question their relationship, and often caught herself daydreaming about what it would be like if they were something more. However, as quickly as those thoughts came, they were gone. She could never date her best friend's ex! What kind of friend would she be if she did that!? Besides, she was almost completely sure that Beck didn't like her like that anyways…

Days passed by. Weeks. Months. And eventually years. Beck, Cat, and the rest of the gang were now towards the end of their senior year in high school. Tori and Andre were now an item, Jade was in a serious relationship with a boy from Burbank High, and Robbie had met a nice girl at Nozu one day whom he was now dating. Cat had had a few boyfriends here and there, but nothing to take seriously (most of them didn't last much longer than a week). Beck however, was surprisingly alone. He was as handsome as ever, and still had girls falling at his feet, but that didn't mean he had to date one of them. He was happier being single.

There was one girl, though, who had caught his eye. Not that this was anything new. Her bright red hair was enough to blind a person. Beck had finally figured out his true feelings for Cat.

It had all happened a few months ago, when they took a trip to the park together. It had started as just a normal day. Cat had run off to the playground, and Beck had followed after her protectively. It was a day full of smiles, giggles, and staring at clouds, until the sky grew dark and it began to rain. Soon after that came thunder and lightning, and Cat began to become scared.

Considering how far away they were from Beck's car, he figured that it would be best to wait out the storm in the shelter of the small gazebo in the center of the park. By the time that they got there, Cat was shaking from the cold of the rain, and was starting to cry, obviously very scared of the thunder, so Beck lovingly took her into his lap. "Shhhh, it'll all be okay. You're safe here. I've got you," he whispered tenderly into her ear. "Don't you worry baby girl, I'll protect you," he said softly to the petite girl in his arms. Much to Cat's surprise (and Beck's), he worked up the courage to kiss her forehead. Beck continued to whisper loving words until the storm subsided, as did Cat's sobs.

As the clouds slowly drifted away, a beautiful rainbow perked out, shining brightly throughout the park. A smile spread across Cat's face. "Look, Beck! Look!" she squealed joyfully. Beck smiled at her delight over something so simple, and gazed up at the sky.

A few minutes passed by, Cat still wrapped in Beck's strong arms, and neither one said a word. It wasn't an awkward silence though. It was a comfortable, peaceful, everything's-gonna-be-okay-after-all sort of silence.

A few smile-filled hours later, the sun began to set. Beck checked his watch and realized that it was already almost 8:00, and that they should probably be heading home. "Noooo," Cat whined cutely. She tugged on his shirt. "Can't we pleeeeease stay for a few more hours?" she begged. Beck shook his head to say no, and Cat whimpered, sticking her bottom lip out. Her adorable pouts always got to Beck, and she knew that. A few more minutes of pleading, and Cat got her way.

It was now 10:15, the sun had long since disappeared, and stars were beginning to sprinkle across the night sky. The two friends were lying in the grass, looking up at the beautiful scene above them. They weren't too close together, but they weren't exactly very far apart either. "The stars are so beautiful," Cat whispered.

Beck wasn't looking at her, but he could tell she was smiling. "Not as beautiful as you though," he finally spoke up, although he kicked himself for being so cheesy.

Cat didn't seem to mind though, because when she turned to look at him, there was a wide grin spread across her face. "You're silly," she said.

Beck chuckled at this, then it grew quiet again, at least until Cat broke the silence. "Beck…what are we?"

Beck looked down, puzzled by her question. He had asked himself the same thing quite often, but had never really come up with an answer. After a few seconds of wondering, he answered, "We're Beck and Cat. The two best friends ever to walk this earth." And it was true. They were the best-est best friends that anyone who knew them had ever seen. But Beck had held back what he really wanted to say. He wanted to blurt out right then and there that he loved her, but it just didn't seem like the right time quite yet.

When Cat heard his answer, she snuggled up to him and he pulled her close. She twiddled her thumbs nervously, obviously wanting to say something more, but was too afraid to. "What's on your mind, kitten?" Beck asked softly.

She looked up at him. "I… I love you Beck," she said in a barely audible voice. At this, his eyes grew wide, and Cat couldn't tell if it was from the good or bad kind of surprise, so she felt the need to continue. "I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure that it all started with that earth quake back in sophomore year. Remember? It just felt so nice to know that somebody cared enough to protect me like that. And the fact that it was you just made it even better. I didn't wanna tell you though, cuz I wasn't sure of how you would react. I'm so sorry if you don't feel the same way. You don't have to speak to me ever again. But I thought you'd just like to know…" she trailed off.

Beck's facial expression still looked shocked, but Cat soon realized that he wasn't upset or angry with her. In fact, he looked overjoyed. "I love you too," he finally responded after he was able to regain his composure. They both gazed at each other for a few moments, then leaned in for a loving kiss to seal the deal.

* * *

A few years later, and the two were still going strong. Cat's debut album was set to come out in a few months, and Beck was now a well-respected and successful movie director/producer. Regardless of their busy schedules, they both still made time to see each other, and had even bought an apartment together. And let's not forget the gorgeous diamond ring on Cat's ring finger. Yes, the happy couple was set to get married next year. It seemed too good to be true, yet it wasn't. It was even more true and real than the precious jewel on Cat's hand.

And it was all thanks to that earthquake back in sophomore year. The earthquake that had changed everything.

**A/N Sorry for the fluff, and the cheesey-as-pizza dialogue, but I just had to get this out for AJ. Hope it wasn't too bad. Reviews are greatly appreciated! xoxo**


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